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John Paul White’s got one of the more recognizable voices in music; listen to him for about two minutes and it’s easy to pick him out as the male voice from the Civil Wars. Continue reading John Paul White, 6/9/17→

The year is 1989, and it’s the year that Drivin’ n’ Cryin’s seminal album, Mystery Road, hit the shelves. Chances are, if you grew up in the South, “Straight To Hell” showed up on at least one of your mix tapes.

Fast-forward to 2013, and the band is still around, and just as good as ever. Few acts have had DnC’s longevity; the band played its first show in 1985, and released its first album, Scarred But Smarter, a year later.

The band took the stage at 1884 Lounge in Memphis to a packed room of mostly middle-aged fans who undoubtedly grew up with them as a key part of the soundtrack of their youth. But, this was no nostalgia act; they rockÂ as hard today as they did nearly 30 years ago.

From the opening notes of “Build A Fire,” it was clear that there was still a little gas left in Kevn Kinney’s tank. The set was a great mix of old songs and new tracks, with a cover thrown in here and there for good measure. “Scarred But Smarter” still had the edgy bite it did in the 80s, and “Honeysuckle Blue” still begged the audience to sing along â€“ none of that has changed.

And yes, the set included “Straight To Hell;” Kinney actually left the stage, mic stand in tow, joining the audience to play the song amongst his fans. It was an intimate moment that would have been much more difficult when the band was playing to thousands. But now, as this extremely still-underrated band plays smaller rooms to smaller crowds, it’s a real treat for those once-teenagers that grew up with Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ in their tape deck – the ones who now have teenagers of their own.

Forecastle FestivalÂ set sail on Friday, July 12 in downtown Louisville, Kentucky with festival founder JK McKnight and partner Ashley Capps, one of the founders of Bonnaroo, at the wheel steering us towards new musical exploration.